Anne Williams-Isom

Anne Williams-Isom (born November 17, 1964) is an American government official, academic, lawyer and former nonprofit executive who served as New York City deputy mayor for health and human services from January 2022 to March 2025. Williams-Isom holds the James R. Dumpson chair of child welfare studies at Fordham Graduate School of Social Service. She was the chief operating officer and later the chief executive officer of the Harlem Children's Zone.

Anne Williams-Isom
Williams-Isom in 2023
Deputy Mayor of New York City for Health and Human Services
In office January 1, 2022 – March 14, 2025
Mayor	Eric Adams
Preceded by	Melanie Hartzog
Succeeded by	Suzanne Miles-Gustave
Personal details
Born	Anne Williams (1964-11-17) November 17, 1964 (age 60) Queens, New York City, U.S.
Spouse	Phillip Isom
Children	3
Alma mater	Fordham University Columbia Law School
Occupation	Government official, academic, lawyer, nonprofit executive

Early life

Williams was born on November 17, 1964, in Queens, New York City, to Edna and Atthille Williams.^[1] Williams was a student at St. Catherine of Sienna School in St. Albans, Queens. Her mother emigrated to the United States from Trinidad and Tobago.^[2] She graduated from the Dominican Commercial High School.^[1]

Williams-Isom completed a B.S. in political science and psychology at Fordham University in 1986. That year, she started working in community affairs at the New York City Police Department in Brooklyn.^[1] Williams-Isom earned a Juris Doctor degree at Columbia Law School in 1991. She completed course work in ministry at the New York Theological Seminary.^[1]

Career

In 1991, Williams-Isom joined Robinson, Silverman, Pearce, Aronsohn, and Berman. She joined Kalkines, Arky, Zall & Bernstein in 1994. In 1996, Williams-Isom joined the New York City Administration for Children's Services as the director of the Office of Community Planning and Development.^[1] She later served as special counsel to the commissioner.^[1] In 2006, under during the Mayoralty of Michael Bloomberg, she was promoted to deputy commissioner of community and government affairs at the New York City Administration for Children's Services.^[3][1]

Williams-Isom became the chief operating officer Harlem Children's Zone in 2009. On July 1, 2014, Williams-Isom succeeded Geoffrey Canada as its chief executive officer.^[4]

Williams-Isom is the James R. Dumpson chair of child welfare studies at Fordham Graduate School of Social Service.^[5][6]

In December 2021, Mayor-elect Eric Adams named Williams-Isom as the incoming deputy mayor for Health and Human Services.^[5]

Personal life

Williams-Isom is married to Phillip Isom. They have three children.^[1] She is a member of the Abyssinian Baptist Church.^[7]